Limitations on Indirect Cost Rate Recovery Under NSF Program Solicitations

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Opportunities in Mathematical Biology at NSF
Tanya Kostova Vassilevska, Program
Director Computational Mathematics, Mathematical
Biology
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N S F
Directorate
Division
DMS Program
Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics /
Foundations
ENG
Analysis
PHY
Applied Math
MPS
CHE
DMS
Computational Math
GEO
AST
BIO
Geometric Analysis / Topology
DMR
CISE
Mathematical Biology
SBE
Statistics Probability
EHR
Infrastructure
.
.
.
Workforce
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2009 STIMULUS FUNDING

• 3B ARRA (stimulus) funding for NSF
• 2.0B for Research Related Activities account
• 0.5B for Education and Human Resources
• 0.5B for facilities and infrastructure
• Context 100M for DMS
• Spent almost entirely on existing proposals

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How were ARRA funds spent?
Majority of the 2 billion Research and Related
Activities funds for proposals that wee already
in house were reviewed and/or awarded prior to
Sept. 30, 2009. Resulted in a higher
funding rate in FY09-FY11 All ARRA awards
were standard grants up to five years
Funding of new PIs and high-risk, high-return
research a top priority.
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Average DMS Funding Rate
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• Other programs in DMS and across NSF (especially
  BIO) like to fund mathematical applications in
  biology
• Math Bio program actively looks for co-funding
  with other programs
• Computational mathematics program funds or
  co-funds math bio proposals with strong
  computational component

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How are proposals reviewed?
Panel review (most of the proposals)
Volunteer to be a panelist! Ad hoc mail review
(rarely is a proposal reviewed only by mail
review) Math Bio proposals are OFTEN co-reviewed
with other programs DMS statistics, DMS Comp
Math DMS Applied Math NSF/Bio/DEB,
NSF/Bio/DBI/ NSF/CISE HINT When in doubt where
to submit, submit to more than one program!
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How to learn about new solicitations?
DMS announces new funding opportunities via two
automated e-mail lists. To subscribe, send a
blank e-mail message to join-mathdept_at_lists.nsf.go
v for the MATHDEPT list or to join-statdept_at_list
s.nsf.gov for the STATDEPT list. (Information
on how to cancel a subscription is included in
each mailing.)
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Standard NSF Evaluation Criteria

• INTELLECTUAL MERIT
• How important is the proposed activity to
  advancing knowledge and understanding within its
  own field or across fields?
• To what extent does the proposal suggest and
  explore creative, original, or potentially
  transformative concepts?
• What will be the significant contribution of the
  project to the research and knowledge base of the
  field?
• How well conceived and organized is the proposed
  activity?
• Is there sufficient access to resources
  (equipment, facilities, etc.)?
• How well qualified is the team (the PI, co-PIs,
  sub-contracts, etc.) to conduct the proposed
  activity?

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Standard NSF Evaluation Criteria

• BROADER IMPACTS
• How well does the activity advance discovery and
  understanding while promoting teaching, training,
  and learning?
• How well does the proposed activity broaden the
  participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
  gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
• To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure
  for research and education, such as facilities,
  instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
• Will the results be disseminated broadly to
  enhance scientific and technological
  understanding?
• What may be the benefits of the proposed activity
  to society?

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General Guidelines on DMS Unsolicited Proposals
Dates Windows of opportunity Math
Bio December 18- January 13 Computational
Math December 1-15 Statistics October 23
- November 7 Applied math Nov 1-15
http//www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?divDM
S
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Mathematical Biology Program
Looking for innovation in mathematics (this is a
DMS program!) with a strong application to
biology. Collaboration with a biologist is
strongly encouraged but not required for a
successful proposal. However, panels tend to
prefer collaborations!
IMPORTANT Upon submission, research the Biology
programs http//www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?orgBIO
Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
Environmental Biology (DEB) Emerging Frontiers
(EF) Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
Contact the BIO program officers and let them
know you submitted to Math Bio. And vice versa!
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Computational Mathematics Program
Supports mathematical research in areas of
science where computing plays a central and
essential role, emphasizing algorithms design,
numerical methods and their analysis, and
symbolic methods.  The prominence of computation
in the research is a hallmark of the program. 
Computational biology proposals are accepted and
funded by this program
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Some new and continuing DMS solicitationshttp//w
ww.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?divDMS

• Cyber-Enabled Discovery Innovation (CDI) NSF
  wide
• Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research in
  the Area of Mathematical Biology October 1
• Building Engineered Complex Systems (BECS)
  Program solicitation NSF 09-610 Submission Window
  Dates December 14, 2009 - January 19, 2010
• DTRA-DMS Initiative on Next Generation Algorithms
  for the Detection of Chemical and Biological
  Materials look forward for a solicitation
  including the mathematics of genomic sequencing

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Cyber-Enabled Discovery Innovation (CDI)

• Five-year initiative (FY2008-12)
• All directorates, programmatic offices involved
• To create revolutionary science and engineering
  research outcomes
• Emphasis on bold, multidisciplinary activities
• Radical, paradigm-changing science and
  engineering outcomes through computational
  thinking

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Cyber-Enabled Discovery Innovation (CDI)

• Business as usual need not apply
• Projects that make straightforward use of
  existing computational concepts, methods, models,
  algorithms and tools to significantly advance
  only one discipline should be submitted to an
  appropriate program in that field instead of to
  CDI.  
• No place for incremental research
• Untraditional approaches and collaborations
  welcome
• Potential for extraordinary outcomes, such as
  revolutionizing entire disciplines, creating
  entirely new fields, or disrupting accepted
  theories and perspectives
• as a result of taking a fresh,
  multi-disciplinary approach.

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Three CDI Themes

•  
• From Data to Knowledge enhancing human cognition
  and generating new knowledge from a wealth of
  heterogeneous digital data
• Understanding Complexity in Natural, Built, and
  Social Systems deriving fundamental insights on
  systems comprising multiple interacting elements
   
• Building Virtual Organizations enhancing
  discovery and innovation by bringing people and
  resources together across institutional,
  geographical and cultural boundaries

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CDI FY10
No application date announced yet Dear Colleague
Letter http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09067/nsf09
067.pdf Note Progress required in two
disciplines these could be any two i.e.
Mathematics and Biology (not necessarily computer
science) The Math Bio / Comp Bio community has
been rather under-represented in this competition!

• Contacts
• CDI Co-chairs Mary Lou Maher (CISE), Tom Russell
  (OIA), Eduardo Misawa (ENG) or members of the
  team listed in the solicitation
• cdi_at_nsf.gov [phone]
• http//www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi/

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DTRA-DMS Initiative on Next Generation Algorithms
for Detection of Chem Bio Materials
Dear Colleague letter http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009
/nsf09010/nsf09010.pdf
Next generation of mathematical and statistical
algorithms and methodologies in sensor systems
for the detection of chemical and biological
materials within the Computational Mathematics
program
FY 2010 Stay tuned. A solicitation on the
mathematics of gene sequencing expected. CONTACT
Dr. Leland Jameson, ljameson_at_nsf.gov
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Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research in
the Area of Mathematical Biology
Next deadline for submissions October 01,
2009 Innovative mathematics or statistics to
solve an important biological problem. Some
proposals funded by NSF, some by NIH. Standard
mathematics or statistics to solve biological
problems is not appropriate Proposals designed
to create new software tools based on existing
models and methods not accepted
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Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research in
the Area of Mathematical Biology
A broad variety of topics Evolutionary theory
and practice arising from genomic
advances Statistical and other approaches to the
discovery of genes contributing to complex
behavior, and their environmental
interactions Explanatory and predictive models
of the cellular state Growth, motility, cell
division, membrane trafficking, and other
cellular behavior Metabolic circuitry and
dynamics Population dynamics Signal
transduction Development of new algorithms for
phylogenetic analysis Design principles and
dynamics of pattern formation in development and
differentiation New approaches to the prediction
of molecular structure Improved algorithms for
structure determination by x-ray crystallography,
NMR and electron microscopy Simulations of the
human systemic responses to burn, trauma and
other injury New approaches to understanding
system-wide effects of pharmacological agents and
anesthetics, and their genetic and environmental
modifiers
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Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research in
the Area of Mathematical Biology
Strong mathematics/statistics coupled with a
strong bio application that lies within the
interests of NIGMS are the key Successful
proposals are usually truly collaborative DMS
contacts NIGMS contact Mary Ann Horn,
mhorn_at_nsf.gov John Whitmarsh, David Stoffer,
dstoffer_at_nsf.gov whitmarj_at_nigms.nih.edu
Junping Wang, jwang_at_nsf.gov Grace Yang,
yawang_at_nsf.gov Tanya Vassilevska,
tvassile_at_nsf.gov
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Building Engineered Complex Systems (BECS) NSF
09-610

• Submission December 14, 2009 - January 19, 2010
• Understand the basic principles of complexity and
  emergence
• Broad range of applications, including
  atmospheric sciences, biology, chemical systems,
  communication and power systems, economics,
  enterprise systems, environmental systems,
  finance, fluid mechanics, nanoscience,
  oceanography, transportation systems, solid
  mechanics, social sciences, etc.
• Principal Investigators (PI) must be at the
  faculty level as determined by the submitting
  organization. At least one co-PI must be an
  engineer and at least one co-PI must be a
  mathematical scientist (a mathematician or
  statistician).

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Training Programs
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Non DMS Opportunities

• DEB Division of Environmental Biology
• DMS Math Bio often co-funds with DEB!
• MCB Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Interested in mathematical methods
• DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure
• Mostly bioinformatics but also interested in
  various algorithms
• CISE Computer Science Directorate
• Collaborative Research in Computational
  Neuroscience  (CRCNS)
• Biocomputing proposals are of interest
  contact program director Mitra Basu

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Check this http//www.nsf.gov/publicat
ions/pub_summ.jsp?ods_keynsf08078
The most competitive proposals will integrate
questions and approaches across disciplines
e.g., in two or more divisions in the Biological
Sciences or one division in the Biological
Sciences and a division in another NSF
Directorate.